Electrode



Patented @ce 26, l922 sitey ti i Coi/trani', or wrm/nnaron, nnnawann, n cenrosefrion or DELAWARE.

ELEGTRDDE.

Applicationled March 1, `1922. Serial No. 540,107. y'

T0 all 'whom t may concern:

, Be it known that l, RALPH AUSTIN LONG.Y a citizen of the United States, .residing at Tamaqua, in the county of Schuylkill and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful lmprovementsin Electrodes, of which the following` is a specification.

My invention relates to electrodes in which the anode member consists "of thin tached to the lower portion ot a common pole or rod and hang downwardly Aliroxnit or extend away from itonfeither side.

One form of the first type consists ot a lead slab covered on one `tace with a thin sheet of platinum` `With the platinum ing the inside of the tank the slab is pressed against the open end oil the (-ell, or electrolyzing tank, and is bolted to thesldes and bottom oi the tank but is insulated 'ii-cm the same.` Thus the anode oi: such an electrode serves as one end of the electrolytic cell. The cathode member consists simply oi' an iron or copper grid placed directly in t'ront ot the platinum face. rlfhe source ot electricity is attached to the back or exposed portion of the `lead slab.

In one form of the second type thin platinum sheet is attached to the lower por .tion of a pole, rod or a piece ot base metal ot any desired shape, which is protected from chemical and electro-chemical action by any of the well known methods. This sheet may be attached `at one ol its edges and hang downwardly from the protected base metal.

wardly from it, or extend out' on eitherside l The protected basemetal ef;-`

of it or both. tends above the surtace ot the solution where it is connected to the currentsupply. T he llt the base metal a. rod, tlm `rod may be attached to the nuddlc ol' the cathode member otsuch an electrode consists of two or moresheets ot iron or some similar metal, electrically connected to each other and so arranged that a sheet of iron, or the like, is found oppositek each tace ot the platinum sheets. y Electrodes or" the first class are very rugged, and` require little attention after they are once assembled. Nevertheless, they are diicult to assemble; the slabs of lead itaced with platinuniare cumbersome to handle in commercial sizes and but one side of Ithe platinum sheet is ot use. The side ot the platinum sheet next to the lead slab is, ot' course, ot no service because itis not eX-` posed to Vthe action of the electrolyte.

Electrodes ot the second type are easily made, are notso diticult to'assemble as the first type and use both sides of the platinum sheets. `Butsince they are made ot thin sheets of platinum they are inherently tlimsy and must be handled with great careto pre` vent tearing` or distorting oi the. sheets.

rownna Special precautions must betaken to prevent .them trom` ifalling against the iron cathode sheets and. short circuiting` the electrode. Due to this same lack of rigidness, such electrmles are limited as to their size' and capacity.` l

The object oftiuy inxf'ention to provide an electrode, the anode of which'is platinum or some similar metal, that can be easily constructed and assembled; one that will require little` attention; one that will retain its ruggedness, irrespective'of its/size; and one in which both sides of the platinum are available tor use. Briefly my invention includes a hollow platinum cylinderfas the anode, resting between two hollow concentric iron cylinders as cathodes. The current may be led into` the platinum cylinder by means -otone or more rods yor columns ot"l some base metal which are protected from chemical `and electrochemcal action by any contact is made between the mercury and the platinum cylinder. The platinum cylinder may also be `supplied with current by welding to it one or more rods ot some base l `metal which have prevously been covered with a sleeve of some resistant metal such as platinum.

My invention can be lmore fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in Which- Fig. lis a perspective view;

Fig. 2 is a plan view; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section.

5 is the hollow platinum cylinder which rests between the two hollow concentric iron cylinders 6--6. 7-7 designate two positive poles of the electrode. These electrodes may consistv of glass tubes 8 welded to the cylinder and'lled with mercury 9, or two metal rodsy such: as copper covered with a vsleeve of thin platinum and welded to the cylinder. The two `iron cylinders are held in place and connected electrically by the two stirrups lOf-lO of angle iron. These stirrups are bolted or screwed to the outside of the outer cylinder' and the inside of the inner cylinder, as indicated at 11. 12a-l2 are pieces of insulating material, such as balelite or hard rubber, that lit into vertical slots 13 cut oppositeieach other in the two iron cylinders 6.-.-6 The insulating` pieces lit tightlyagainst opposite sides of the platinum cylinder and: hold it firmly in place equidistant betweenathe two iron cylinders. A copper bar 14' is belted to the outer iron cylinder, which conducts thecurrent away from the electrode. v l

From the above description the novel and advantageous features of my invention will be quitev apparent. The thin platinum in the form of a cylinder is self-supporting and rigid. It requires no reinforcing, and may be made of any desirable size without detracting from its rigidness. lts construction is of the simplest, and its fabrication cost is thereforealmost negligible. rlhe assembling of this electrode involves merely placing the platinum cylinder between the two concentric iron cylinders and sliding the'insulating strips in place. rlfhe support of these insulating strips combined with the inherent rigidness of the cylindrical form, eliminates all danger of the platinum touching the iron cylinders and short circuitinw the electrode, although the platinum and iron cylinders are not more than one quarter of an inch apart. After being assembled the platinum anode is completely protected on all sides by the heavy iron cylindrical cathodes. is both sides of the platinum are available for use, the capacity of the electrode is large in comparison with its size. The space between the two iron cylindrical cathodes, and the cylindrical platinum anode is free of all protrusions and the electrode rests upon iron legs constituted by thestirrups LLC- 10, about three or four inches above the bottom of the cell. rlhe gases evolved upon the surface of the two iron cathodes facing the platinum result in a This constant self mixing action 1 of the electrode prevents the collection of slime or sludge at any point between the anodeY and cathode, .and thus eliminates the danger of short circuits from this cause. This danger is further prevented by the position of the electrode above the bottoni of the tanlr, and by the absence of protrusions inthe space between the anode and cathode.

Thus, in capitulation, it may be pointed outl that the electrode of my invention, is rugged, compact, small inl comparison to its capacity, free from all danger of short circuits, self mixing, of simplel construction, and easily handled.

Having described my invention, what l claimy is:

l. ln combination` a hollow-l cylinder of platinum or the like as an anode, placed between two hollow concentric metal cylinders, which are electrically connected to each other and act as cathodes and spacing means for holding the said platinum cylinder concentrically within the last named cylinders.

2. ln combination an 'anode'consistinglofa hollow platinum cylinder, held?y firmly in place between two hollow concentric iron cylinders by two or more pairs of insulating strips, whichv strips rest in vertical yslots cut opposite each other in the iron` cylinders l0@ and press firmly against opposite sides of the platinum cylinder. Y

3. ln combination an anode consisting-lof a hollow platinum-cylinder, and Va. cathode, consisting of two hollow concentric iron cylinders, constituting a separate, distinct, and self-sustaining part, mechanically complete in itself.

a. n combination an anode consisting of a hollow platinum cylinderand ay cathodecon-` sisting of a pair of iron cylinders between which the platinum cylinder is concentrically disposed.

5. ln combination an anode which consists of a hollow platinum cylinder and a cathode which consists of a pair ofy iron cylinders between which the platinum cylinder is concentrically disposed and vertically disposed strips of insulating' material betweenthe anode and the cylinders of the cathode, said cylinders of the cathode being vertically slotted for the reception of saidinsul'ating strips.

6. In combination an anode consisting of Y a hollow 'platinum cylinder having conduct- 125 ting elements projecting vertically therefrom, a cathode consisting of a pair of hollow iron cylinders between which the cylinder of the anode is concentrically disposed,

said hollow iron cylinders being electrically connected to constitute a Cathode, an nsw latng strip between a cylinder of Vthe ,eatin ode and a cylinder of the anode said oyln del' of the cathode being vertically slotted for the reception of said strip and said strip being' vertically channeled for the reception of said conducting element of the anode.

In testimony whereof lI efx my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

RALPH AUSTIN LONG. 

